Stuart's Folding Table...

[Stuart]

Very cool Carlos!

[Stuart]

Boys from Syracuse.... Nice! I had forgotten about doing a Viper of that’s scheme. Now I’ve got to do one. That photo looks to be up in the Thousand Island region up in Alexandria Bay, NY.

Syracuse is an easy hour’s drive west from me. Haven’t been out there this past summer. I did go to Syrcon 2021 which was held in Cicero, just outside the city of Syracuse.

I'm surprised you've not done one already!

That's cool, you need to get out there again.

[Stuart]

I've made a bit more progress on this, in between bits of real life.

I've added the gear doors (the front one is from the Tamiya kit) and the Tamiya pylons. I also used a bit of primer to paint in the missing canopy framing. It's not 100% but it's better than it was.





I also finished up these little things that have been on and off the bench for over a year.





Overall I'm pretty pleased with them. That's finish number 4 for 2022.

Cheers!

[Medicman71]

Very nice Stuart! I've never painted a figure before.

[LyleW]

That jet thing looks good. I think those pilots won’t fit! Interesting bunch of dudes.

[Stuart]

Very nice Stuart! I've never painted a figure before.

If can be fun, I quite like these sci-fi dudes as you can do what you want.

That jet thing looks good. I think those pilots won’t fit! Interesting bunch of dudes.

I have a tank to fit them into!

The old Matchbox Falcon is coming along, I've painted the undersides and the upper light grey, I'm just working on the upper dark grey now. It's not the best painting I've ever done as I'm rushing it a bit, but it should look okay after a few touch ups.



Cheers!

[Stuart]

So after the fun little distraction of the Defiant, I'll be picking up from where I left off in my Matchbox 50th Anniversary builds. After building their rather excellent little Tempest mk.II, I started one of these...



Matchbox's 1/72 F-16A/B Fighting Falcon (or Viper for you USAF guys). It's a surprisingly nice little kit this, I've really enjoyed building it. I was worried when I'd seen one before it was over scale, but actually it matched the plans I have for profile pretty well. The only thing I have done, is used some spare exterior parts (pylons, wheels etc) I had left over from a failed Tamiya kit last year.

This is where I am now - I've just painted up the exhaust and fitted it.





I'm currently sorting out the pre-decal gloss coat. As I've mentioned many times previously, the bane of my modelling life is clear coats. I've been fiddling around with them for years, but never really got a method/product I was 100% happy with, although I've got close with using acrylic clears and a sponge application method. That being said, I recently thought I'd give Humbrol's enamel based products another go, and have picked up a set of them to try out - again...



So far so good, I was happy with the first go although I did have to thin it slightly - I going to need more white spirit

I have this theory that clears get worse as they age, so I've actually marked up the purchase date on the bottle. I'll see what it's like in a year.

Cheers!

[Medicman71]

Very nice Stuart! I use Model Master Acrylic clear coats. Unfortunately, what I have is it. They don't make them anymore so I'll have to find something else when my large supply runs out.

[Stuart]

Very nice Stuart! I use Model Master Acrylic clear coats. Unfortunately, what I have is it. They don't make them anymore so I'll have to find something else when my large supply runs out.

Thanks Mike!

That's a pain, actually finding a product you like and then having it discontinued!

[KSaarni]

It really sucks!

- Kari